The Things We Cannot Say: A WWII Historical Fiction Novel Paperback – March 19, 2019

I've read so many books about World War II over the years, each one relating different aspects of the countless lives that were affected by it. Kelly Rimmer's novel not only revealed the intricacies of two family's shared stories, but also provided valuable life lessons for those of us who look into this challenging and devastating period in history, seeking to be better and more compassionate people in the world we live in today. Thank you, Kelly, for all of your efforts in bringing to us this remarkable story.

I never read a book so incredibly moving and the ending is what my end will be. I want my ashes to be next to the grave of my 1st husband who died in Vietnam on this very date 55 years ago.

3.75 ⭐️The latter half of the book kept me hooked, but the two main characters were a bit hard to grapple with at first. Alina of course grew from the hardships she endured, but was hard to relate to at first. And Alice was just so resentful towards her husband (understandably so), but it was still hard to want to hear her story with all that bitter rage. That being said, the main plot of the story is so beautiful and I’m glad I stuck it out and finished the book.

I absolutely loved this book! Such a beautiful story that I thought I had figured out multiple times and it kept morphing and changing along the way. An amazingly powerful description of the impact on human life during WWII. With a dual storyline that went back and for the through time, it pieces together present day and history in a beautiful way. I especially appreciated the representation of children with autism and their family’s experiences. I could not recommend this book enough!

This book ranks right up there with The Nightingale. A Story weaved from current time and a past that family vowed to not say. Just read it, it's truly beautiful. May I also suggest reading The Warsaw Orphan after as this book as they do connect.

An amazing story told by an incredibly talented author. This is my first time reading a Kelly Rimmer book. It will absolutely not be my last. I cannot wait to read more. I highly recommend reading The Things We Cannot Say. Trust me when I tell you, you will not be disappointed.

This book was amazing. It had surprises and twists I didn't see coming. Makes you realize how scary and hard things were for the people that had to live through that terrible time.

The story begins in 1942, Alina Driak, loves her best friend Thomasz, and they plan to marry.. However, war comes in between that happening so fast. He leaves with the intent of going to college in Warsaw. BUT national soldiers take over and bring, fear, hate, and despair. Alina lives on a farm and the soldiers come by to monitor what is going on.There is a second story line of the present running along the war story. The lead is Alice, a stay at home mom. She has two children, a gifted girl, and a difficult autism son, Eddie. The dad, Wade, tends to favor the girl. An entire section goes on about their relationship. I think in my opinion it was distracting and not necessary.Alice's Grandma, Babcia, had a massive stroke and can not communicate except on a device. She continually, shows Alice, Babcia fire Tomasz. She wants Alice to go to Poland and find him. She does and it is an interesting part of the story.Alina, the war part of the story is somewhat sheltered because of her parents. She notices smoke in the distance and no one tells her about the holocaust and the news. She becomes aware of the persecution of the jews.The story has heartbreaking parts, uplifting parts, horrifying and cruel parts. The only part I had to stop was to keep track of the ton of characters and who relates to who. But, if you love reading war stories, while not as factually written as other books. It has what it was like for the families and people to try and live thru the war in Poland. As well as the ones who don't make it. I recommend reading the book!